'Lost': Aronofsky will not direct

Fans of both the hit TV show Lost (which features a guy haunted by a sinister sequence of numbers) and indie filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (whose breakthrough film, Pi, was about a dude obsessed with devilish digits) will have to wait a bit longer to see if these two geek tastes can taste great together. The director has respectfully bowed out of helming one of the current season’s remaining episodes due to scheduling conflicts. “The timing didn’t work out,” Aronofsky tells us. “I’m expecting a child.” (The mom-to-be, of course, is Oscar nominee Rachel Weisz.)

The director, who is putting the final touches on his long-awaited sci-fi drama The Fountain, is also prepping a new movie called Flicker, an adaptation of the cult novel. (There are also rumors that The Fountain is being strongly considered for a slot at the Cannes Film festival this spring.)

There are still hopes, however, that Aronofsky – a big fan of the show – will be able to direct an episode next season. Considering how Aronofsky drove Ellen Burstyn nutty with diet pills and a demonic fridge in Requiem for a Dream, just imagine what he could do with the washing machine and all that smack inside The Hatch. Be very afraid, indeed!